The factor structure of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among Rwandans exposed to the 1994 genocide: A confirmatory factor analytic study using the PCL-C

•The latent structure of PTSD is predominantly studied in Western populations.•We compared alternative models of DSM-IV PTSD in sub-Saharan Africa.•PTSD symptoms were assessed with PCL-C on a sample of Rwandans with genocidal exposure (N = 465).•The emotional numbing, dysphoria and dysphoric arousal models gained support in confirmatory factor analysis.•The latent structure of PTSD in this sample is similar to that found in Euro-American samples.

The factor structure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in Euro-American populations has been extensively studied, but confirmatory factor analytic studies from non-Western societies are lacking. Alternative models of DSM-IV symptoms were tested among Rwandan adults (N = 465) who experienced trauma during the 1994 genocide. A cluster random survey was conducted with interviews held in Rwandan households. PTSD was assessed with the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian version. Competing models were the DSM-IV, emotional numbing, dysphoria, aroused intrusion, and dysphoric arousal models. Results showed that the emotional numbing, dysphoria, and dysphoric arousal models had almost identical, good fit indices and fit the data significantly better than the other models. The emotional numbing and dysphoric arousal models also exhibited good construct validity. Results suggest that the latent structure of PTSD symptoms in Rwanda are comparable to that found in Euro-American samples, thereby lending further support to the cross-cultural validity of the construct.